By Marissa Halstead on May 11, 2026
Mother’s Day is one of my favorite times of the year! I love celebrating my own mom and the other mothers around me. I feel very accomplished in my life. Married the love of my life and have an undergraduate degree in psychology and a masters degree in counseling. When I am not seeing clients, I am in arguably my most important role – mothering my girls. The role of being my girls’ mom is by far the most challenging, yet rewarding role in my life. Being a counselor complicates this for me, because when I struggle I am like, “Why? I know what to do…I AM a therapist.” This just proves that things are easier to know in our heads than it is to translate into real life.
Here’s to all the moms, or really any parent, that is trying the best they can to raise good humans. My girls are 3-years-old and 9-months-old, so I am constantly overstimulated. My nervous system feels completely shot 99% of the time. Self-care is very important for all people, but especially for parents to young children. We’re not sleeping well, are being screamed at all hours of the day, and are interrupted more times than we’re not. It is okay if you are feeling overwhelmed, because so am I! I never want someone to feel alone in their struggles. (Speaking of, YANA Moms is a resource to remind you of that)
Since I feel overstimulated so often, I like to incorporate practices in my life that calm my nervous system. When I’m stuck in flight/fight mode, I am more tired, less patient, and not as present as I could be. Here are some practices that I like to do that really work!
- Physiological Sigh: Take two quick inhales through the nose followed by a long, slow exhale through the mouth
- Gentle Movement: Go for a walk or stretch to burn off excess adrenaline
- Humming or Singing: These activities vibrate the vocal cords and throat muscles, activating the vagus nerve
- Self-Touch: Place a hand over your heart or give yourself a hug
- Reduce Sensory Input: Dim the lights, put away your phone, or go to a quiet space
While I will always be my girls’ mom, I will not have little kids forever. I want to soak up as much of the time that I have with them, which is also why these practices are so helpful and important. To all the mom’s that feel not good enough, I see you and understand. You are good enough and there is no one better to be your children’s mother than YOU! If you need support, please reach out for support, we’d love to walk with you in your parenting journey.
